Premier League: Five of the elite's best five-a-side teams

Small sided games with the focus on keeping possession and making your opponents chase the ball. That's essentially the premise of five-a-side football, and something which can be seen day in day out on training grounds up and down the country.

By dramatically reducing the size of the pitch, the size of the goals and the number of players, 5-a-side football removes the temptation to just play the ball long and hope for the best and limits the effectiveness of those players who may be big, strong and athletic but lack technique and guile.

With five being the magic number in this piece, GMS Academy member, Thomas Hember, has taken the Premier League's top five teams and put together their strongest possible five-a-side team.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Koscielny, Cazorla, Ozil, Giroud.

All teams, regardless of which format of the game their playing, rely on a solid goalkeeper from whom they can build a successful team. Polish stopper Wojciech Szczesny is without doubt Arsenal's first choice and is the obvious choice between the sticks.

Holding things together at the back is Laurent Koscielny. While defensively solid, Koscielny is comfortable in possession and that's fundamental in this game.

Ahead of Koscielny we've plumped for two of the most creative players in the Premier League. Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla are capable of picking holes in any defence and will relish a game where creativity is key.

Spearheading the attack for this Gunner's outfit is Olivier Giroud. Having been firing on all cylinders this season, Giroud is the obvious choice to fire this team to glory.

Chelsea: Cech, Luiz, Ramires, Mata, Hazard.

Again, the goalkeeper position is a simple choice with Petr Cech having been the undisputed number one at Stamford Bridge ever since he arrived in 2004.

With defenders needing to be comfortable in possession, who better to go for than the frustrated playmaker that is David Luiz. Despite his role as a central defender, Luiz can often be seen marauding forward and looking for a killer pass and his ability on the ball earns him a place in this team.

Fitness is a major part of this game with players being involved in the action non-stop, and the energetic Ramires will love the all-action aspect. With compatriot Luiz behind him, Ramires will have to be prepared to regularly chase back and take over defensive responsibilities.

Pace, trickery, eye for a pass, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard have got it all in abundance. Players are often forced into tight spaces in these small-sided games, but these two will take great pleasure in wriggling free. Although we've opted to go without a striker in this five, we're confident they've got enough goal-threat through the team.

Manchester City: Hart, Kompany, Toure, Silva, Aguero.

Despite his high-profile dip in form, we're backing Hart to prove his worth in this five-a-side line-up.

Captain Vincent Kompany will be given the defensive role in this team although the Belgian will have license to get his foot on the ball, building attacks from the back and showing why he was often deployed in a midfield role in his younger days.

Yaya Toure is the ultimate midfielder and simply cannot be overlooked. Think of an attribute you'd like from a central midfielder and Toure has got it. Box-to-box, strong as an ox, great on the ball and over 6ft tall. The Ivorian will be the fulcrum of our team, and his powerful shooting adds extra firepower.

In attacking positions we've opted for the diminutive David Silva and Sergio Aguero. What this pair lack in size they more than make up for in ability. Silva plays passes before most players have even seen them, and with Aguero capable of hitting the net from any angle, this deadly duo will be near on impossible to stop.

Manchester United: De Gea, Carrick, Rooney, Zaha, van Persie.

There are few goalkeepers in the Premier League more comfortable with the ball at their feet than David de Gea, and that'll be a huge attribute to this Manchester United team.

We've taken the bold step of opting not to pick a natural defender in this Red Devils team, instead playing Michael Carrick in a deep role. The England man has played in defence in the past and his ability to retain possession will be key.

With Carrick playing from deep, Wayne Rooney will be given the job of all-action midfield man, making use of his ability to manipulate the ball and his endless hunger to work hard for the team.

Refusing to jump aboard the Adnan Januzaj bandwagon, Wilfried Zaha will be given an opportunity to show exactly why Sir Alex Ferguson was so keen to bring him to Old Trafford and his pace and trickery will provide countless chances for the league's most prolific marksman - Robin van Persie.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Vertonghen, Dembele, Eriksen, Defoe.

Since arriving from Lyon at the start of last season, Hugo Lloris has established himself as Spurs' first choice shot stopper and we can't see any reason not to include him in this team.

Ahead of Lloris is another man brought to the club last summer. Jan Vertonghen may only be seven games into his second season in the Premier League but he plays with all the composure and confidence of a seasoned veteran and his ability to create as well as defend makes him the rock upon which this team will be built.

Providing the energy in this five is Moussa Dembele. Since arriving in English football with Fulham, Dembele has shown himself to be a complete midfielder and thus the perfect choice for a game which requires players to be comfortable in a variety of roles.

Providing the ammunition in this five is summer recruit Christian Eriksen. The Dane has already shown his eye for a pass and with a lethal finisher like Jermain Defoe ahead of him, no defence is safe.

Disagree with any of our selections? Want to offer up a five-a-side team from another club? Leave your comments below and let us know what you think.

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